Snap switch



July '1, 1952 D. MORRISON SNAP swzrca Filed Nqv. 0, 1950 Patented July 1, v I

. I s v 2, 02,127 7 I H g S A IT H". David Morrison, -Manitowoc, Wis., assignor to Paragon Electric Company, Two Rivers, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application November 30, 1950, Serial No. 198,264

5 Claims. (Cl.2 68) In electrically controlled timing systems; it is tact pieces, I4 and 15, respectively, and are unnecessary that the circuit-controlling switches der an initial stress tending constantly to hold both open and close with a snap action, in order the contact pieces in engagement with each other. to achieve accurate timing. The free end of one blade projects beyond The present invention has for its purpose to 5 the corresponding end of the other blade. This create a switch means that will function efmay be done in various ways, all of which may fectively in the aforesaid manner and'yet be be said, in a sense, to make one blade longer very simple in construction. 7 I than the other. in the arrangement shown,

As it is common to make the relatively m'ovblade 13 is actually longer than blade l2, be

. able members or arms of small switches in the cause both are attached to the ledge II. The

form of Spring blades, it is a further purpose upper half of blade A3, for some distance from of this invention to utilize the resiliency 'Of such the free end, is cut away, leaving there only blades to bring about snap movements of the a finger-like portion {3 blade el t v y t each other, both in closing Blade l2 has its free end bent outwardly and and in Opening u Switches- 15 backward to form a flange or lip 16-. The free T e pr s t invention may therefore he i end of the blade I3 is also bent outwardly, but to have for an object the-creation of a simple at an obtuse angle, to create a flange or lip and novel actuator to cause energy Stored in ii that is more or less parallel to-element 16. the spring blades of a switch to be utilized in Mounted on the base beyond the fr ends instantaneously opening and closing the same. 20 of the Spring blades, is the Switch actuaton In i preffarredmanner of carrymgnut This actuator consists of a vertical, cylindrical Invention of cPoperatmg sprmg block l8 of insulating material provided at its blades anchored at corresponding ends and havupper end with a l9 and with a radial mg their'other ends free l'provide'a rocking crating arm 20. Member 18 surrounds and. is

cam engaging with the free ends of the blades; movable angularly about a post 2| rising from the cam servmg to cause one blade to Snap away the ba e' the extent of movement bein: limited from and then snap into engagement withthe f e 18 b a in 22 fixed t b otherblade when the cam is rocked from one or Xa P y p o ase and posltloned between two ears, 23 and 24 on limit to the other and back again. a d d t 1 1 f b l 8 The-various featuresof novelty whereby the an Space apar angu ar y o mem er present invention is characterizedswill hereinafter he. pointed out withparticularity in the claims, but, for a full understanding of the invention and of its objects and advantages, refmately triangular part having vertical edge faces, 25 and 26, that form with each other an angle in the neighborhood of ninety degrees and meet erence may be had to the following detailed de- 3 at the apex The cam is about as thick as scripticn taken in connection with the accomthe Width of blades- The e 29 is panymg drawing wherein; dercut; as at 28, toward the base of the tri- Figure 1 is a lan vi w of a w t means angle, for a distance of somewhat more than embodying my invention, the switch being open; one'half the thickness of e cam. Fi 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the 40 The cam lies between the plane of the upper switch closed; and Fig. 3 is a view looking from edges of the blades and the plane containing lin 3 3 i Fig, 1, the lower edges; and, when at one limit of its In the drawing I have illustrated a simple movement as Shown in 1, h ap x t ereof embodiment of my invention disassociated from extends W611 forward" into the Spa e between any control system or apparatus and, for the the switch blades; At this time the blades are sake of brevity, the detailed descriptionwill be Spread p o a he co tacts are held out confined to thi embodim nt, of engagement with each other. If the arm 20 Referring to the drawing, In is a suitable flat be now swung in the counter-clockwise direction, base along one edge of which rises a ledge H" edge 25 0f the Cam will p the free d of of insulating material, 12 and I3 are two parblade i2 toward the left until the apex reaches allel spring blades, arranged on edge and nthat blade. Continued movement of the cam chored at corresponding ends to member II, with brings edge or S p 26 0f the'cam into a their other ends free; the blades overlying and ment with the end of blade l2. The movement being parallel to the base. The blades are prof the cam up to t point has resulted i t e svided on their inner sides with cooperating con-" ing'blade l2 so that, as soon'as this blade touches The main portion of cam 19 is an approXi- To cause the switch to close, therefore, the cam is moved by its arm until it is carried a little past center, whereupon the energy stored in blade I2 drives the cam to the limit of its movement and at the same time snaps over against blade I3 the switch now being closed as shown in Fig. 2 and being maintained in that condition until an outside force is again applied to turn the cam back.

To open the switch again, the switch arm is swung in the clockwise direction from the closed switch position in Fig. 2. The apex of the cam being new on the outer side-of blade I2, this movement causes both switch blades to be defiected toward the right until the cam is a little past center. Then, blade 13 being held back by the cam, blade I2 snaps against slope 25 of the cam and drivesthe cam to the limit of its stroke in the clockwise direction, namely, into the position occupied in Fig. 1.

The parts may be so proportioned that, when the switch is closed, there is a little lost motion between the cam and the blades; thus insuring that the initial stress in the blades may be exerted in full to hold the switch closed. However, if desired, either or both blades may at all times be in contact with the cam.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact details thus illustrated and described but intend to cover all forms and arrangements that come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A snap switch having two cooperating contacts movable relatively to each other to open and close the switch, a spring blade on which one of said contacts is mounted, said blade being anchored at one end and having its other end free, said blade being under an initial stress tending constantly to hold its contact in engagement with the other contact, and an actuator beyond the free end of the blade having a triangular element lying in the plane in which the blade moves in opening and closing the switch, said triangular element being mounted for rocking movements about a stationary axis intersecting the same, a portion at the apex of said element overlapping the blade, and means to move the actuator back and forth to cause the blade to be deflected until it reaches said apex and snaps.

from one side of said element to the other upon each backward or forward movement.

2. A snap switch having a supporting member, two parallel spring blades anchored at corresponding ends on said member while having their other ends free, cooperating contacts on said blades, the blades being initially stressed so as yieldingly to hold the contacts in engagement with each other, a cam beyond and engaging with the free ends of both blades, mounted on said member to rock, about a stationary axis that intersects the same, in a plane transverse to the 4 planesof the individual blades and intersecting the blades, said cam having an element with sloping sides meeting at an angle and which in one position of the cam lies between the blades and spreads them apart whereas, in another position of the cam, said element lies on the outer side of one of the blades and leaves the blades free with their contacts engaging each other.

3. A snap switch having a supporting member, two parallel spring blades anchored at corresponding ends on said member while having their other ends free, cooperating contacts on said blades, the blades being initially stressed so as yieldingly to hold the contacts in engagement with each other, a cam beyond and in engagement with the free ends of both blades, a stationary pivot pin extending from said member into the cam to allow the latter to rock in a plane transverse to the planes of the individual blades and intersecting the blades, said cam having an element with sloping sides meeting at an angle and which in one position of the cam lies between and in contact with both of the blades. whereas, in a second position of the cam, said element lies on the outer sideof one of the blades and clear of the other blade, the angular width of said part of the cam that enters the space,

between the blades beingsufiiciently great to spread the blades apart and open the switch uponsuch entry.

4. A snap switch having two parallel spring blades anchored at corresponding ends while their other ends are free, one blade being longer than the other so that its free end projects beyond the free end of the other, cooperating contacts on the blades, the blades being initially stressed to cause them to press the contacts together, a cam mounted directly on a stationary pivot beyond the ends of the blades to rock in the plane of movement of the blades in opening and closing the switch, said cam bearing against the inner side of the longer blade near the free end of the latter and having a triangular element the apex of which lies on the outer side of the short blade, near the free end of the latter when the switch is-closed, and means to rock said cam between the switch-closed position and a switchopen position wherein the apex lies between the blades; the shape of the cam being such that the blades are free to close the switch in the first of said positions of the cam and are held in spread relation to each other by the cam in the other cam position.

5. A snap switch having two parallel spring blades anchored at corresponding ends while their other ends are free, one blade being longer than the other so that its free end projects beyond the free end of the other, cooperating contacts onthe blades, the blades being initially stressed to cause them to press the contacts together, a cam mounted directly on a stationary pivot beyond the ends of the blades to rock in the plane of movement of the blades in opening and closing the switch, said cam having a triangular element the apex of which lies on the outer side of the short blade, near the free end of the latter, when the'switch is closed, means to rock said cam between the switchclosed position and a switch-open position wherein said apex lies between the blades, said triangular element engaging the inner sides of both blades in the switch-open position to spread the blades apart and the cam face dropping 5 away beyond the triangular element on the side toward the long blade to allow the latter to follow after the short blade, until the short blade reaches said apex, during a switch opening movement of the cam.

DAVID MORRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date McQuown Jan. 5, 1904 Benjamin July 7, 1914 Wilcox Sept. 17, 1940 Morrison Sept. 6, 1949 Morrison Nov. 7, 1950 

